49ers defeat Giants 31-21: Good, the bad and the ugly

49ers defeat Giants 31-21: Good, the bad and the ugly

The New York Giants entered a Week 10 matchup with the San Francisco 49ers insisting they had not quit on the season or their coach. Several players, including cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, said that would be evident on Sunday and if not, there were some much larger issues at hand.

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Not only did New York hand San Francisco its first win of the season, it did so in embarrassing fashion.

Here’s a look at the good, the bad and the ugly from the Week 10 loss:

The Good

Orleans Darkwa – After falling behind big (yet again) the Giants were forced to abandon the run. However, prior to doing that, Darkwa led the way with 70 yards on 14 carries (5.0 yards per carry). He’s clearly established himself as the best running back on the team.

Sterling Shepard – Shepard has had some strong performances in his young Giants career, but perhaps none were as impressive as Sunday’s. The youngster went above and beyond to carry the Giants offense, making incredible Odell Beckham Jr.-like catches en route to an 11-reception, 142-yard day. But beyond the box score, Shepard gave max effort on every single play.

Olivier Vernon – In his first game back since Week 4 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Vernon looked good. He shook off the rust relatively quickly, and although he didn’t register a sack, he did record three tackles, one quarterback hit, one pass defensed and one interception.

Kelvin Sheppard – Prior to being lost to injury, the returning Sheppard stepped up defensively and finished second on the team with six tackles. It wasn’t a perfect performance, but for a guy coming off the couch, it was the best the Giants could have hoped for.

The Bad

Jonathan Casillas – It had been a while since Casillas last saw the field, and that was evident. He had moments when he looked like the defensive captain of old but, like several other defenders, missed more than a handful of tackles, got beat in coverage and, at times, provided questionable effort.

Eli Manning – Manning had a bit of a mixed day in Week 10, but his bowling ball turnover is what will ultimately stand out. Rather than taking a sack and a loss of a few yards in the first half, Eli seemed to attempt an underhanded throw while going to the ground. The result? The ball rolled right into the waiting arms of a 49ers defender.

Aldrick Rosas – A kickoff out of bounds and another missed field goal. Not good news for the youngster.

Others – Bobby Hart, Eli Apple, Ben McAdoo and Steve Spagnuolo.

The Ugly

Janoris Jenkins – After returning from his one-week suspension, Jenkins looked like a man still completely checked out. In his worst game as a Giant, the Jackrabbit appeared to give minimum effort, missing several tackles, slipping down and giving up more than a couple big plays.

Missed tackles – Janoris Jenkins wasn’t the only player who struggled with tackling on Sunday. Across the entire defense, the Giants just couldn’t seem to wrap up. The final tally of missed tackles will be interesting. And disheartening. And embarrassing.

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